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Monday, April 25, 2016

Aghaloo

In 1825 Lt. C. Bailey wrote the following memoir of the Parish of Aghalow & Carnteel (Aghaloo) in Co Tyrone to go with the Ordnance Survey Maps that were being drawn.

"The surface of this parish is very undulating. It consists principally of small hills separated by valleys or plains. The hills are generally of the greatest altitude in the north west and become gradually of less elevation towards the south east. The following are the names of the townlands containing the principal elevations, with their altitudes in feet above the level of the sea: Rahaghy, 635 feet, Carricklongfield, 608 feet, Bohard, 479 feet, Glendarragh, 412 feet. The forgoing ar in the north western portion and in the south eastern are Knockaginy, 251 feet Drumess, 298 feet and Mulynaveagh, 258 feet.

"There are several lakes, within and bordering on this parish, the total area of which amounts to 140 acres 26 perches. Creeve lough is about 1,00 yards long and 330 feet broad and estends over 60 acres, 9 acres of which are in Aghaloo parish. Mullycarnan lake is 440 yards by 286, area 48 acres. Rahaghy lake contains 22 acres 2 roods.

"The Blackwater forms the boundary of the parish for 18 miles. for 12 miles its course is to the south east, to the southern extremity of the parish. At this point its direction changes to the south west towards Lough Neagh. there are various nameless watercourses, which serve as feeders to the lakes and are useful to small mills.

"The bog is principally confined to small patches in the valleys or low grounds. The largest tract is on the north western boundary in Carricklongfield, Rahaghy and Cronghill townlands.

" Calledon is situated in the south eastern portion of the parish, on the high road from Monaghan to Dungannon. It is 89 miles from Dublin, [blank] from Monaaghan and [blank] from Dungannon. the ancient name of the town was Kinnard. It was the site of a castle belonging to Sir Phelim O'Neill. the town consists of 1 street which presents a remarkably neat appearance. the public buildings are a church, a Presbyterian meeting house a schoolhouse and an inn. there is a general market every Saturday, a grain market every Tuesday and a fair on the second Saturday in each month. A day coach from Belfast to Enniskillen passes through it every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday and returns every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

"Public buildings: Roman Catholic chapel in Derrygooly......

"The flour mills at Caledon rank among the most extensive of the class in the kingdom. The water power is [supplied] by a weir across the Blackwater at right angles with the river. The height of the weir is [blank] feet and the length of the mill-race [blank] yards, giving a fall of [blank] feet. There is also a subsidiary low pressure steam engine of 25 horsepower. The average consumption of coal is 4 cwt per hour. It is procured at [blank] for [blank] per ton and the cost of carriage is [blank].

"The seeds or refuse of the grain is also used as fuel and it is found that 1 ton of seeds is equal to 4 cwt of coal.

"Corn mill in Dyan, corn mill in Drummond.

"The principal road is that from Monaghan to Dungannon through Caledon. It traverses the parish on the eastern side from north to south for 6 and a half miles.

"Another main road traverses the parish from the south east to north west, leading from Armagh to Omagh through Aughnacloy. Its length within Aghaloo parish is 9 miles."